Color, Cut, Paste, Fold...POP! (Um...In High School)

You heard me--I'm bringing crafts to high school history class. Pop-ups aren't just for babies anymore. I'm an equal-opportunity popper.

At first, they complain. "We're not in second grade."

But slowly, they get into it, and what's more, they remember it.

We're not just cutting to pass the time. There's a method to my madness--a standard it supports. My philosophy has always been, "Why do the same old book work when you can cover the identical material with art or drama?"

The standard my Middle Ages Pop-Ups cover isSSWH7 The student will analyze European medieval society with regard to culture, politics, society, and economics.
a. Explain the manorial system and feudalism; include the status of peasants and feudal
monarchies and the importance of Charlemagne.

Here's how we do it:
1. Discuss the manorial system and feudalism using a prezi, cloze notes, and a film clip.
2. Show the step-by-step instructions with pictures on a PowerPoint.
3. Students follow along and make the pop-up.
4. They paste the pop-up into their interactive notebooks.
5. They scan the QR Code on the handout, and answer the questions directly into their notebooks.

It's a creative and fun way to discuss the manorial system and feudalism. What's more, when we come to the dawn of the Industrial Revolution 3 units down the road, students "get" why it was such a big deal that the lords fenced off the common land.

The manorial pop-ups are a part of my Middle Ages in the East and the West Interactive Notebook Bundle that you can get here:

How do you reach across the curriculum? Whether it's STEM or the arts, what do you do to connect with other subjects in your classroom in order to engage students? Let me know by leaving a comment below!

Be sure to come back next Monday when I discuss a scavenger hunt through local shops in sociology.